Polina Lermant and the Last Stand of Russia’s Yabloko Party

The risks facing Yabloko members are severe. The party’s profile has been systematically dismantled by the state, with prominent figures like Lev Shlosberg and Maxim Kruglov receiving lengthy prison sentences. For Lermant, these developments echo the history of her own family, specifically her great-grandfather’s Soviet-era exile. She views her candidacy not merely as a political bid, but as a test of whether space remains for any dissent in modern Russia.

Despite the Kremlin's hardline stance and the mounting economic pressure caused by Western sanctions and drone strikes, Yabloko continues to campaign on a platform of immediate peace. Lermant remains convinced that a significant portion of the electorate favors negotiations over continued hostilities. By staying on the ballot, the party aims to provide a rare, tangible outlet for voters to signal their opposition to the war, even as the personal cost of such activism continues to escalate.